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Monday, November 29, 2010

My Outlander Purgatory bud Carla sent in this suggestion... and I think it's fabu as this fellow is pretty scrumpdillyicious. Richard Armitage from North and South... Spooks.... and Robin Hood - all BBC series.

He definitely has the ability to play both dashing and evil... so that's a major plus, right?!

Chat tonight, y'all. I have a feeling we'll be talking about Frank. LORDDDDDDDDD will we be talkin' about Frank. We all need to take the gloves off and leave our egos at the door!!! BWA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

I've gotten a few emails and comments about my love of all things Frank (snicker)... so I thought it was about time I blogged about the man. You know... 'cause he's such a great guy and all. (wink)

Here's the deal. Nothing is set in stone. Ever. This is how I feel about Frank... and how I feel about what Frank "knew".

Do I think Frank warmed up to the possibility that Claire was telling the truth after living with her and raising her daughter? Um... of course? Frank knew Claire to be a reasonable, responsible, honest person. And she was mentally capable of surgery - whether it was at the hospital on a heart valve of a 70 year old man... or at home on a splinter of a 6 year old girl. A girl she loved more than anything else in the world.

At some point, Frank MUST have said to himself "Well... I really don't WANT to believe this...but the woman is as sane as they come! How can it NOT be true?!"

At THAT point, I believe Frank started doing research on Jamie Fraser. Now... we all know what happened after Claire went back to the 18th century; she built a life with Jamie Fraser in North Carolina. And had a few adventures along the way in the Carribean... NY... PA....etc. And there HAD TO BE SOME RECORD of her life with Jamie Fraser....and their daughter, Briana Randall Fraser MacKenzie. And at THAT POINT, when he found those records, Frank decided that he'd better get Bree ready for anything that might come her way in the 18th century.

COMMA HOWEVER.... Frank was kindof bitter about Claire's love for Jamie. How could he NOT be? I would be... that is for damned sure. Was he a good and decent man for taking her in after 3 years when she was pregnant? Absolutely. Did he still love her? Absolutely - as we all know no mere mortal can resist the charms of Claire Fraser. (She's like RPattz in that way. ) But did he say to himself "I'll be damned if I'm going to just tell her that Red Jamie Fraser's friggin Scots ass didn't die at Culloden? Not s'fast lass." What's that word I keep using? Oh yeah.... Absolutely.

And that's one of the reasons I don't care for him.

I get that he didn't want to lose his daughter - or his wife - by telling them they had a whole other life in another century. But I am one of those annoying people who is sickeningly honest and just doesn't have it in her to lie. If that were my husband - no matter how much I loved him - I'd tell him what I knew and let the chips fall where they may. I am a big believer in fate... as well as that "If you love something, set it free" bullshiz. It would eat me up on a daily basis to know I had information that could potentially change someone's entire existence - and not share it with them. But hey; that's just me.

As for the other reason I never cared for Frank all that much... I just hated the way Claire was never very important to him until she was gone and wasn't kissing his ass 24 hours a day. And I don't care that it was the 1940s and that's how they did things back then. I just never felt a great love for Claire on Frank's part... more of a love of being catered to before she left... and a sense of obligation once she returned. Don't get me wrong... Did he love her? Sure. Did he know she didn't love him in that way? Yup. Which is actually a point for him, seeing as he stayed with her. But I just don't think he and Claire ever had anything remotely close to what she had with Jamie... and I wish Frank would have stepped aside all those years ago and told her Jamie Fraser was still alive.

And yes... yes... that would have opened a whole new can of worms regarding Bree. They would have fought over her and Frank would have told Claire she wasn't taking her back, yada yada yada. But that didn't happen so we don't even have to ponder it, ken?

Sooooo... that is where I stand on Frank. As far as what he "knew" about Jerry... I don't think he thought a thing of the fact that his plane was found near standing stones. They were all over bloody Britain at that point. It would be like me saying "Oh my god his car broke down near a 7/11! He must have traveled through time at the 7/11!" At that point when Jerry disappeared, Frank was still at war and hadn't even come home to Claire yet. He didn't know doodley squat about standing stones - other than a possible rumor about the fairies he may have picked up along the way. And lord knows he wouldn't have believed it. I think he knew Jerry disappeared... and felt somewhat responsible (see the part above about Frank being a good and decent man) since he was the one who sent him on his mission. He went to see Marjorie out of a sense of honor - not because he knew Jerry was trekking around 18th century Scotland with Buck Rogers.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Hey all - the holidays are coming for a limited time you can get FREE SHIPPING when you spend $30 at the My Outlander Purgatory shop! (Starts December 1st and runs through December 14th.) Take advantage of this offer and get some Outlander merchandise for someone you love!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Just want to throw out a "Happy Birthday!!" to Karen who is the section leader over at the Compuserve Books and Writers Community. Karen has been a great friend to us over here at My Outlander Purgatory... and she is also celebrating 4 years of being an Outlander fan! I can't imagine how much work she does over at Compurserve (I shiver to think, actually) and she is always very helpful when we're completely clueless about anything from Claire's love of herbs to Jamie's new-found pocket change (which we discussed at chat last night) to historical accuracies and such.

Karen tells a great story on her website, Outlandish Observations...about how she found the Outlander series...and how she went from not knowing a thing about it - to meeting Diana Gabaldon - and becoming the "Czarina of Traffic" at the Books and Writers Community - a title given her by Diana, HERSELF.

This totally reminded me of last year when I first started blogging and found out my neighbor's mother in law has done some work (reading to the blind) with Diana in Arizona. Knowing Jean might tell her mother in law about the blog, I said "Wow - do you think Diana might actually hear of our website some day?!" Bwa ha ha! Oh I'm quite certain she's heard of us now...not sure what leads me to think that... could it be my BIG, FAT NOGGIN on screen making a complete ASS of myself at ComicCon?! ;)

So please join me in saying CONGRATULATIONS Karen! And we hope you have a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! :)

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Sigh. I am in massive withdrawal. I read the entire Outlander series - each book, back to back.. all 7 in a row. And then.... there was nothing. For months. And then, there was "The Exile"... and it rocked. But it was a quick read and not really full of DWG (Diana Wordy Goodness. ) Then came A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows... and at once I was transported into three drawn-out days of pure bliss. And now... now there's nothing. Just a blackness... a murky gloom that is darker than it was before the new book came out. It is as if someone gave me one crack pipe - after I had just gotten over giving up my ten daily crack pipes....which I apparently smoked every day for 10 years.

Sigh. And I'm having phantom reading pain. For instance, tonight, the Giants are Playing the Eagles... and I just realized my hubby will be in front of the tv from 8:30 until possibly midnight. And I thought "oooh I'm going to go upstairs and read 'A leaf on...'...sigh....nevermind".

SPOILER ALERT: DINNA read unless you have read "A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows".

OK here's the thing. I didn't mean "Why didn't Roger go WITH Jerry through the stones". I meant - Why didn't Roger go through the stones a few minutes after Jerry, in order to get back to his own time. He and Buck were clearly running away the uber-second that Jerry went through. So they didn't want to go through the stones at that point; they wanted to stay in the past. Why? I'm with Tracey on this - I think they're still looking for poor Jem who is wandering around in the mine at this point.

And you know what? I don't necessarily know that the fact that Jerry disappeared near standing stones would have made much of a difference to anyone in the 1940s; stone circles were all over the place in Britain. And most people either didn't know about the superstition, or thought it was just that; superstition. So.. when Claire said she went through the stones, Frank probably never even thought about Jerry's plane being found near stones.

Now HERE'S something odd... last night I watched Tristan and Isolde with James Franco (who I could have sworn was English and is actually from California!) Wow - talk about star-crossed love!!! Truly good flick - I highly recommend if you dig period pieces about the British isles. It was set in the Dark Ages...and the costuming was spectacular.

Haven't read Songs of Love and Death yet? What are you waiting for?!?! :)

Saturday, November 20, 2010

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have read (and loved...and scratched your head majorly at) "A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows".

WTF, Y'all?!?!?!

I am confused. AND LOVING IT. But confused. Am I correct in assuming that Diana has TOLD US THAT ROGER WENT THROUGH with Buck in Echo....and went back too far...and somehow knew his father was hiding....and helped him get back through the stones to his own time?!?!

Here's what I loved: Here Dad, take one of my gemstones... I've got a bunch here in my satchel.

And why didn't they go through WITH him?? Or - not WITH him, to the 1940s - but right AFTER him to the 1960s?? Why would they have stayed behind??? Maybe just because those people were chasing them and they wanted Jerry to get safely through... and couldna go at the same thing. And what were those hillbillies speaking?? It wasn't the Gaelic... because Jerry knew/had some. Holy shit - maybe...no wait, never mind. I was going to say "maybe they were in another country" but duh... they went through in Scotland.

The ending baffled me. And only because I'm anal and once I've made up my mind to something, I have a hard time veering away from it. Like...didn't Marjorie DROP Roger in the tube station during the raid? In this, she handed him UP to Jerry. Maybe Roger just forgot (the kid was what, TWO at the time? Seems to me his memory wasn't the best. Or maybe MY memory isn't the best, which is entirely possible...and why I occasionally put things like stuffed animals in the refrigerator or the milk in a cabinet... but I digress.)

WHAT AN AMAZING READ. I miss new Diana/Outlander so much it hurts me to the core of my being.

And how sweet was FRANK to Roger and Marjorie when he came to visit?? Because he felt guilty, y'all. GUILTY FRANK - what a new concept...NOT. I was cracking up like "See? Even MARJORIE HATES FRANK". LOL Kidding...I get it, I get it. He's a good soul, even though I want him to be nothing more than a womanizing cheater.

SOOOOOOOOOO - shall we expect Roger and Buck to be missing in Book 8 because they're wandering around Scotland in some past century? INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW!!!!!

PS - CONGRATULATIONS to Lesley who just had a baby a week ago!! And I have to throw out another CONGRATULATIONS to our other friend and new mom, ANGELA, who I am way overdue in congratulating on the blog! We wish you and your new babies all the best and hope they grow up to be Outlander fans! :)

Friday, November 19, 2010

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have read "A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows".

Ho. Ly. CRAPOLA. OK so I go into this book thinking a) it's just going to be a nice story about Roger's parents....and b) it's going to be sad.

WOWWIE MACWOWWIE was I wrong-a-mundo!!!!!!

Let me clarify: I AM NOT FINISHED! So PLEASE - no spoiler comments!!!
OK - so - Jerry (that HOTTIE) just went through the stones. Poor bugger thinks his head hurts from the crash... but not-sa-fast Jerry old boy... you don't know what you are in for.
And the most AMAZING thing is that *I* dinna know what he's in for, either! I have no IDEA what time period he's going to FIND himself in!

And why is THAT so huge - to the point where I'm annoying mySELF with all these CAPS and exclamation points?!?

BECAUSE ROGER IS GOING TO EFFING MEET HIM IN BOOK 8, Y'ALL!!!!!!!!! I could NOT be more intrigued... or more happy with this book. So get your ASS to the store - or my AMAZON link - and buy A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows if you have not already done so, mmmmkayyyyy???

MORE LATER! I'm headed to the school parking lot....to READ, y'all!!!!!!!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Lads and Lassies - dinna forget to get your copy of "Songs of Love and Death: All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love". Diana Gabaldon's "A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows" short story is included in it.... and is the tale of Roger Mac's parents.

Y'all - I just ordered it for my Kindle and will be starting today. I am giddy with Glee....and no, I'm not talking about that silly show where they break into song (although Tracey keeps trying to tell me they don't) with the rudedog gym teacher played by Jane Lynch (whom I love more than words can say.)

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Oh. My. God. Am I the only person in the Outlander universe who hasn't seen this film? It's spectacular!! It's set in the early 18th century Highlands. The landscape is not to be believed. And I just watched a scene between Liam Neeson and Jessica Lang that was Jamie and Claire perfection!! OK, OK... one or two of the lead accents aren't perfect (pronounced "pairrrrrfect") but there are enough true Scots talking in this film to make you giddy for a week.

Monday, November 8, 2010

I just laughed right out loud in my kitchen when I saw this. And might I say, we usually take our parents to a nicer restaurant for their anniversary... but we had short notice this year. Oy. It looks like we're in Sizzler! Tracey was calling the decor "Early American IHOP". LOL! Enjoy!

PS - I FORGOT to mention! The restaurant was a house that was built in 1780... and is called Willie's Tavern!! Apparently a fellow built it for his son when he returned from the Revolutionary War! Run and tell THAT... Homegirls! :)

Monday, November 1, 2010

Sorry y'all for the late notice - Tracey and I won't be able to be at chat tonight. Tracey has a meeting and I am enjoying a visit from PattzR and The Bagipe Dancer (aka our Mom and Dad) - and would feel pretty rude blowing them off for an hour when they're only here for one night!

Please feel FREE to use the chat room anyway! We don't have to be present!!